The Commonwealth Games (known as the British Empire Games from 19301950, the British Empire and Commonwealth

Games from 19541966,

and British Commonwealth Games from 19701974)
[1]
is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was
first held in 1930, and, with the exception of 1942 and 1946, which were cancelled due to World War II, has taken place every four years since then.
The games are overseen by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), which also controls the sporting programme and selects the host cities. A host city is
selected for each edition. 18 cities in seven countries have hosted the event. Apart from many Olympic sports, the games also include some sports that are played
predominantly in Commonwealth countries, such as lawn bowls and netball.
Although there are 53 members of the Commonwealth of Nations, 71 teams participate in the Commonwealth Games, as a number of dependent territories
compete under their own flag. The four Home Nations of the United KingdomEngland, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Irelandalso send separate teams. Only
six countries have attended every Commonwealth Games: Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, Scotland, and Wales. Australia has been the highest
achieving team for twelve games, England for seven, and Canada for one.
A sporting competition bringing together the members of the British Empire was first proposed by the John Astley Cooper in 1891, when he wrote an article in The
Times suggesting a "Pan-Britannic-Pan-Anglican Contest and Festival every four years as a means of increasing goodwill and good understanding of the British
Empire". The John Astley Cooper Committees worldwide (e.g. Australia) helped Pierre de Coubertin to get his international Olympic Games off the ground fast.
[3]
In
1911, the Festival of the Empire was held at The Crystal Palace in London to celebrate the coronation of King George V. As part of the festival, an Inter-Empire
Championships was held in which teams from Australia, Canada, South Africa, and the United Kingdom competed in events such as boxing, wrestling, swimming,
and athletics.
In 1928, Melville Marks Robinson of Canada was asked to organise the first British Empire Games; these were held in 1930, in Hamilton, Ontario,
[1]
and women
competed in the swimming events only.
[4]
From 1934, women also competed in some athletics events.
The first Commonwealth Paraplegic Games were held alongside the Commonwealth Games from 1962 to 1974. Athletes with a disability were then first included in
exhibition events at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, British Columbia,
[6]
and, at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, they were included as full members
of their national teams, making them the first fully inclusive international multi-sport games. This meant that results were included in the medal count.
[7]

The Empire Games flag was donated in 1931 by the British Empire Games Association of Canada. The year and location of subsequent games were added until
the 1950 games. The name of the event was changed to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games and the flag was retired as a result